Durango Residents Embark on Global Warming Wager

Backpackers have lived on the front lines of global warming (melting glaciers, earlier and lengthier summers, etc.) longer than most, but the debate is far from over with the public at large. Case in point: Back in December, Durango resident, former Exxon employee, and global-warming dissenter Roger Cohen sought to challenge climate change believers with a bet: He put up a $5,000 wager that the average temperature of the earth will be cooler in 2017 than 2007. Cohen had no takers from the opposing side for months, but now fellow Durango resident and OBGYN Dr. Richard Grossman has agreed to enter the fray.

"I think part of Roger's goal was to keep the issue of global warming in the public mind," Grossman said Thursday. "It was certainly part of mine in accepting. I believe there is strong evidence of global warming and that much of it is caused by humans."

Grossman and Cohen agreed to a few preset terms: 1) The $10,000 will be held in escrow until 2017, 2) Britain's meteorology office will provide the data used to determine a winner, and 3) all winnings will go to charity. Both parties also agreed on a "volcanic exemption" to the bet, since a significant eruption could lower atmospheric temperature and counteract global warming. Thank god that's settled. Now all we have to do is wait 10 years to declare a winner. What about you, dear reader? Would you take that bet? Warming skeptic gets taker on wager (Durango Herald)—Ted Alvarez